RESPONSE to F Groenier, Don (The Examiner, August 11). I have to agree toxic smoke from wood heaters is totally unacceptable and is responsible for many health issues. There is a great deal of information available on the internet to educate everyone with toxic emission levels. Michael Ferguson would be able to reduce the number of patients requiring services if they would ban all wood heaters. After all toxic wood smoke is responsible for increases in asthma attacks and other respiratory illnesses, heart attacks, cancers, and so on. Cigarettes are legal, but banned in public areas, cars (children inside), public transport, children’s parks, restaurants. Incinerators have been banned, however some operators use their wood heaters as incinerators instead. Cigarettes attract a high level of tax due to the additional burden on the health system, perhaps its time to tax wood heater operators for the pollution they cause. Our neighbours have a wood heater and my family have been putting up with their wood smoke in our home for 13 years. This has been detrimental to our health and they don't seem to understand the implications of what their smoke is doing to other people. They just stick their head in the sand and say “we have a right to have a wood heater”. In response, “my family has a right to clean fresh air inside our own home”. Evidence from the EPA proved the emissions from our neighbours wood heater were 100s of times over the acceptable level for human’s to be exposed to. This information seems to have fallen on deaf ears. I SUPPOSE in the great scheme of things the theft of a few garden ornaments would not rate very high. I suppose it would depend on who you are and what sentimental values your loss insulted. I suppose it would depend also on how safe you felt in your own home. Imagine please your aged grandmother who lives alone, retaining her independence and dignity. Imagine that she could have intruders in her garden, close to her bedroom window, in the dark of night, and have favourite garden ornaments stolen. What would you think? These are not random opportunistic crimes. This is not juvenile crime. These homes were reconnoitered. The robberies were planned. The items were not visible from the street and they are larger good quality attractive pieces. Of course the police have been notified. I am aware of three garden robberies in the last three weeks at Beaconsfield. How many more have there been? Has your neighbour or friend recently acquired a lovely seated golden Buddha about 80cm tall, or a sweet wooden wishing well, or a barrel shaped blue and white china garden stool about 35x70cm? Have you lost anything? Have you reported it? A civilisation is generally defined as an advanced state of human society containing highly developed forms of government, culture, industry, and common social norms. Define our common social norms. How civilised do you feel we are? AFTER months of disunity in the Liberal Party and attempts at removal of a moderate as Prime Minister all the farce of the past week what have the rebels achieved? The new leader and his deputy are the architects of the two policies that were the catalyst for the push for change of leader. Will unity of the party result? Watch the headlines over the lead up to the general election. UNFORTUNATELY human nature has not improved. Pollies for the most part are too busy feathering their own nests and back stabbing to care about much else. Therefore more crime, utility and rate rises, homelessness and substance abuse. More cameras, rules and laws won’t fix a fallen humanity. Do we really want a global-technical police state? Our lives dictated by a few mega-wealthy at the top of the pyramid. OUR latest Prime Minster has shown his depth and intellect by decreeing lapel pins for all, and a war on so-called gender whisperers in public schools. Our poor schools, trying to teach basic skills despite endless funding cuts in favour of the well-financed private schools, (ab)used again to further a lie. A lie intended to garner votes for the conservatives by tricking the gullible into thinking there is some sinister agenda to sex-change the kids. Of course, Morrison will have nothing to say about the very real depravity visited on kids in private schools, as revealed by the royal commission into such matters. These moral panics are intended to distract the poor punter from the theft of the nation’s productivity by a well-connected few. I wonder if it will work come election day? A CORRESPONDENT states (The Examiner, September 6): “After the death of Joseph Lyons in 1939, Sir Earle Page served for 19 days as Australia’s 11th prime minister.” This is given as the record for the shortest serving Australian Prime Minister, but is incorrect. The shortest serving Australian Prime Minister was Francis Forde at eight days, followed by Sir Earle Page 20 days, and John McEwen 23 days.

Letters to the editor | September 12, 2018

Wood Smoke Emissions

RESPONSE to F Groenier, Don (The Examiner, August 11). I have to agree toxic smoke from wood heaters is totally unacceptable and is responsible for many health issues.

There is a great deal of information available on the internet to educate everyone with toxic emission levels.

Michael Ferguson would be able to reduce the number of patients requiring services if they would ban all wood heaters. After all toxic wood smoke is responsible for increases in asthma attacks and other respiratory illnesses, heart attacks, cancers, and so on.

Cigarettes are legal, but banned in public areas, cars (children inside), public transport, children’s parks, restaurants.

Incinerators have been banned, however some operators use their wood heaters as incinerators instead.

Cigarettes attract a high level of tax due to the additional burden on the health system, perhaps its time to tax wood heater operators for the pollution they cause.

Our neighbours have a wood heater and my family have been putting up with their wood smoke in our home for 13 years.

This has been detrimental to our health and they don't seem to understand the implications of what their smoke is doing to other people.

They just stick their head in the sand and say “we have a right to have a wood heater”.

In response, “my family has a right to clean fresh air inside our own home”.

Evidence from the EPA proved the emissions from our neighbours wood heater were 100s of times over the acceptable level for human’s to be exposed to.

This information seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

B. Shepherd, Prospect.

Social Norms

I SUPPOSE in the great scheme of things the theft of a few garden ornaments would not rate very high.

I suppose it would depend on who you are and what sentimental values your loss insulted. I suppose it would depend also on how safe you felt in your own home.

Imagine please your aged grandmother who lives alone, retaining her independence and dignity. Imagine that she could have intruders in her garden, close to her bedroom window, in the dark of night, and have favourite garden ornaments stolen.

What would you think?

These are not random opportunistic crimes. This is not juvenile crime. These homes were reconnoitered. The robberies were planned.

The items were not visible from the street and they are larger good quality attractive pieces.

Of course the police have been notified.

I am aware of three garden robberies in the last three weeks at Beaconsfield.

How many more have there been?

Has your neighbour or friend recently acquired a lovely seated golden Buddha about 80cm tall, or a sweet wooden wishing well, or a barrel shaped blue and white china garden stool about 35x70cm?

Have you lost anything? Have you reported it?

A civilisation is generally defined as an advanced state of human society containing highly developed forms of government, culture, industry, and common social norms.

Define our common social norms.

How civilised do you feel we are?

Frances Mamo, Beaconsfield.

Much Ado

AFTER months of disunity in the Liberal Party and attempts at removal of a moderate as Prime Minister all the farce of the past week what have the rebels achieved?

The new leader and his deputy are the architects of the two policies that were the catalyst for the push for change of leader.

Will unity of the party result? Watch the headlines over the lead up to the general election.

A Carter, Mowbray.

Pollies

UNFORTUNATELY human nature has not improved. Pollies for the most part are too busy feathering their own nests and back stabbing to care about much else.